


Half a Song

by gingayellow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 14:51:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7467549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Shiro wants to be assigned to the Kerberos mission, he needs to pass an upcoming test. Luckily, Keith has a place away from the Garrison that's quiet enough for studying. [Shiro/Keith, content warnings for familial death mentions (parents, grandparent). Pre-series, very fluffy]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Half a Song

Title: Half a Song  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Shiro/Keith  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: Familial death mentions (parents, grandparent)  
Notes: Pre-series. Basically, this is my take on the burning questions of how/why Keith is living in a shack in the desert with a sweet ride. ;P Very fluffy. (One day, I’ll run out of Go Lion/80s Voltron people to mention, but today is not that day.)

\--

One of the things Shiro had learned very quickly during his time at Galaxy Garrison was how to successfully study under any circumstances. When you were living with roughly five hundred young people, you learned how to block out talking, music, laughter, media, or any combination of the four—or at least bring earplugs.

But today he’d left his earplugs at his dorm for the first time ever, and it was right after midterms for the student body (not to mention a Saturday)—which meant there was essentially an informal party in the common area.

All while he was preparing for his Astronomy exam next week.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault, except maybe whoever decided that pilots volunteering for the Kerberos mission would be tested right after everyone else was relaxing. But this also meant that he only had a week to make sure he was ready, which every area that was usually designated for study (the library, computer labs, common areas) were being used for anything but.

Giving up, Shiro tucked his books and notes under his arm. Maybe he’d try his dorm—which was going to be loud as well, but maybe his ear plugs would drown out the worst of it.

“Hey, Shiro!”

“Yes. **What.** ” It wasn’t until he snapped his reply that Shiro realized that first, he was being rude. And second, he was being rude to Keith. “Aw, geez. Keith, I didn’t mean that. I—”

Keith held up a hand. “It’s fine. Even you’re allowed to lose your cool sometimes.” He frowned thoughtfully. “So, what’s making you lose your cool?”

Shiro huffed softly. “Studying for my test could be going better.”

“Hey.” Keith punched Shiro’s arm lightly. “You and I both know you’re the best choice for that mission.”

“Don’t be so sure. Both Jeff and Ginger are extremely capable, and—”

“Hey.” It was weird. Everyone (Keith most especially) claimed that he had a quick temper, that he reacted almost solely on instinct. But then Keith would look up at Shiro, eyes dark and concerned, and Shiro just knew there was more to Ensign Keith Kogane than that. “Don’t worry about them. You just focus on yourself.”

“You’re right,” Shiro conceded. “But gosh, it’d be nice if there was a place I could get work done.”

“I know a place.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. My house. C’mon, I’ll drive you.”

\--

It looked like a hoverscooter, but it was too big and bulky to fit the typical model sold. Between that and that painfully bright red paint, it was clear that this was a custom job. “So, what’s this?”

“Mine.” Keith placed a hand on the scooter’s side, a soft smile on his face. “I built it from spare parts. I finally finished it in time to drive myself to the Garrison when I was accepted.”

“Didn’t you say that you moved around a lot as a kid?” Shiro gave the scooter another glance. The parts were all definitely secondhand, but it was clearly well-maintained and cared for, even if the paint was a little garish. “That must’ve tough, taking this with you every time you moved.”

“I managed.” Keith hopped into the driver’s seat. “I promise, there’s room for two.”

“But not by much,” Shiro remarked as he sat behind Keith, wrapping his arms around his friend. He kept his backpack on his back. 

“We’ll be fine,” Keith assured him before they sped off.

\--

“So, why do you have a house in the desert?” Shiro shouted over the scooter’s hum.

“It was my grandma’s,” Keith shouted back. “I spent my summers at her place. She was the one relative I got along with, so she willed it to me when I turned eighteen. As soon as I graduated high school, I moved in.”

“Hunh.” This might explain where Keith kept disappearing over weekends. “This is a personal question, so feel free to refuse it if I’m overstepping my boundaries.”

“Well, you need to ask it first before I can decide that.” 

Shiro felt himself smile. It was amazing how many people back at the Garrison could confuse bluntness (which Keith could be at times, to be fair) with frankness. “If you and grandmother got along, why didn’t she raise you?”

“Ah.” Keith made a turn. “There’s no school within reasonable driving distance.” Shiro felt him tense up. “She looked into home schooling one time, but she was already getting sick, so.”

Shiro rested his head against Keith’s shoulder until he relaxed again.

After that, they traveled in silence until a small cabin was in eyesight. Keith parked the scooter, and helped Shiro down. “We’ve got electricity, AC, some sodas in the fridge, but no Internet. Hope you remembered your phone.” He began to unlock the front door.

“I don’t need the distraction,” Shiro reminded him. “Just point me to the closest thing to a work space.”

“In that case, my room.” Keith let him in, then motioned to a door on Shiro’s right. “There’s a desk and everything.”

“Thanks again.” Shiro went into the room, fully prepared to study.

\--

Keith’s room was a lot cleaner than Shiro expected.

He’d studied for an hour, and decided to take a quick break/learn more about his surroundings. The room—and what else he had seen of the house—reminded him of Keith’s hoverscooter. Old, but clearly cared for. There was a mattress with a thin blanket. A faded Galaxy Garrison poster was hung over it, next to a calendar. On the other side of the wall, where Keith could see it when he woke up, was his high school diploma. Aside from that, there weren’t a lot of personal touches. Perhaps while Keith had inherited the house, other relatives had taken everything else, simply because they could. From what little he knew about Keith’s family, he would not be surprised. Angry that they would do such a thing to a young man just starting his life, but not surprised.

Shiro turned his attention back to the desk, and the two photos there. There was a framed picture of an elderly woman that Shiro assumed was Keith’s grandmother. Tucked in the frame was a smaller, faded photo. There were some words as well, at the top. 

_Akira and Alana Kogane._

Hmm.

Even without the caption, Shiro would have been able to tell that they were Keith’s parents. Mr. Kogane had Keith’s unruly hair. Mrs. Kogane had Keith’s smile and jawline. They both beamed at the camera, clearly happy.

“Okay, now I’m starting to intrude,” Shiro muttered to himself. Keith had invited him to his house, was letting Shiro use his bedroom. The trust involved in such a gesture was not lost on Shiro. And here he was, not necessarily looking through all of Keith’s personal belongings... but definitely focusing more on them than his work. He should return to studying…

Was that a guitar? 

Shiro poked his head out a door, and yes, there was Keith, frowning thoughtfully as he tuned his instrument, then played a few more notes, fragments from a melody Shiro had never heard before.

“That sounds nice.”

Keith yelped, then glared. “Aren’t you supposed to be studying?!”

Shiro yelped as well, shut the door, and kept his attention fixed solely on his text and notes for the next two hours.

\--

“Hey.” Keith knocked on the door. “Dinner’s ready.”

Shiro shut his book, and stepped outside. “Thank you. And, um. Sorry about earlier.”

“I was the one who decided to play some music while you’re cramming.” Keith headed into the tiny kitchen. “Anyways, hope you like frozen waffles and soda.”

“My favorite.” Shiro helped Keith set the table before they settled down to eat. “Um, Keith.” Shiro rubbed the back of neck. “I may have intruded.”

Keith gave him a look. “How so?”

“I looked at your high school diploma and your family photos.”

Keith stared at him for a very, very long time… and then laughed.

“Hey,” Shiro said helplessly.

“I’m sorry,” Keith managed as he dug out waffles from the freezer. “It’s just they’re kinda on display, that’s all.”

“That is true.” He was feeling even more embarrassed now. “But I know you’re a private person as well.”

“Hmm.” He popped the waffles in the toaster. “Tell you what. I’ll let you off with a warning this time.”

Shiro set the table, making sure to grab the waffles while they were still warm. There didn’t seem to be any syrup, but they’d manage. He eased himself into a seat, ready to change the subject. “I really did like the song you were playing. What’s it called?”

Keith stared down at his waffles. “I don’t actually know. My grandma used to play it a lot.” He took a bite of his food. “She only taught me to play a little, so I don’t think I’m ever gonna get it right, but. Well.”

Shiro sipped his drink. “Maybe after dinner, you could play some more?”

Keith gaped at him, then looked away. “I guess.”

“Only if you’re comfortable with it.”

“No, I am.” He actually smiled at Shiro. “But it’s the first time I played for someone other than Grandma, so don’t expect a quality performance.”

They finished eating first, of course. But as Shiro finished washing up, he noted Keith slinging the guitar over his shoulders out of the corner of his eye. Quickly, Shiro dried and put away the last plate so he could join Keith in the living room.

As Keith had warned him, he didn’t know the entire song. Just a few notes and chords. More than once, he got a note wrong, which drew a soft huff from Keith, even as he hummed along, trying to remember as much of the song as possible.

But Shiro wasn’t just listening. He was also watching.

Keith’s face was scrunched up in concentration as he kept playing, but there was no heat in it—it wasn’t like back at the Garrison, where you had to compete for everything. And when he got parts of the song right… Shiro had never seen Keith smile quite like that.

“Okay.” Keith put the guitar away. “That’s all I remember.”

“I loved it.” Shiro reached out, his hand resting on Keith’s back. “I appreciate you sharing that with me. Along with everything else today.”

“I didn’t mind.” Keith’s voice was softer than usual. Maybe being at home relaxed him. “I know the place is old and threadbare, but I figured—”

“You figured right. This was exactly what I needed.” And then some.

Shiro’s hand drifted up, to the left side of Keith’s face, fingertips brushing against his skin. He had never seen Keith look this calm, and Shiro had never felt this… whatever he was feeling.

But it was getting dark out, and even if it was a weekend, he had training and studying. “We probably need to be heading back,” Shiro admitted reluctantly. 

Keith nodded.

\--

“Hey, Keith?”

Keith kept his eyes on the road. “What?”

“Winter break is coming up in a couple of months.”

“Yeah. You’re heading back home, right?”

“I am, but our break lasts for almost a month.” He tightened his arms around Keith. “So I was thinking that maybe we could spend a few days at your place before I visit Japan. If you want.”

“You sure? You saw the place; I don’t even have a TV.”

“I’ll bring my laptop. And my media. Of course, you could always play your song for me again.”

“You want me to play you half a song?” He could almost hear Keith’s frown in his tone.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Keith said something about how astronauts were weird, but Shiro could hear the smile in his voice, even over the hoverscooter.


End file.
